Wow, thanks for assuming:)
I couldn't remember what it meant when I first heard it, so I looked it up. I'm a bit of a vocab nut, though.
I didn't say I had a problem with the meaning of Vista; I said the word itself doesn't really fit visually and audibly what it means for Windows.
Good point (both of you who have replied so far); However, I have 2 arguments.
One, as far as marketing goes, you should always pick something attractive that is going to appeal to your target audience. Microsoft, I'm assuming, is targetting the home user with little desire to learn computing; They want to just do it. My premise could be flawed, but I'm sure MS has something similar in mind if not that. Anyway, "Vista" isn't exactly something I would peg as attractive, or common to the desired userbase. While the meaning is good, I believe that not only should the meaning be fitting, but also the visual and audible flow. For instance, "pulchritudinous" doesn't really look or sound like a word that describes beauty. If I called someone I didn't know pulchritudinous, I would probably get called something else quite the opposite.
Second, many people think in numerical versions; Rocky comes in numerical order, sports cames usually have a year in the title, and multi-movement musical pieces usually include a number designating which movement it is (certainly not always the case, though). Newer people then have to actually make an effort to figure out which is newer when it comes to Windows versions - It can get pretty tough.
Not saying I don't think your argument is valid, but I do think there are a few more variables to the marketing equation MS is faced with.
MS deserves to be sued for picking such an un-attractive name for an OS.:P
Windows 2000? Yeah, that works. XP? Sure. ME? Not great, but it is better than "Vista". How many people are going to actually know what "Vista" means, anyway? I'd put 20 on people thinking that the newest incarnation of Windows is some spanish distribution.
I'll admit, I was one of those "hops from dev team to dev team" guys. My main problem was that I didn't realistically assess the team before I joined - I participated in 3 different efforts to make a commercial game. The ideas were great, and the price was right, but in the end each project was plagued with inexperienced management and developers (that, or no coders.. common problem:)). I've done level design, texture design, and music composition (respective to the 3 projects I participated in, in chronological order). The latter project is still going, I think. It is probably about as old as DN4E, now. Those guys just don't quit:)
So, yeah, definately work hard to finish your projects. If you quit a project because of professional reasons, I'd say don't put it on your resume.
Here is another vote for autoit. I have a few friends who make good use of it, and I've used it a bit myself. It is a very powerful way to script common functions (and even not-so-common functions).
1: CIS is applied computer tech. Networking, web development, database development and management, application programming, etc. I've taken Finite, Discrete, and Stats, along with accounting and productions/operations management (our dept mixes in business classes with our CIS stuff).
2: Yeah, I am going to a mediocre school. I didn't realize it was so mediocre when i visited, though.. Needless to say they definately pulled the sheet over on me.
3: No, it doesn't have anything to do with open source software. You are splitting hairs - most people seriously interested in IT know about open source. I haven't actually ever met anybody really involved with computers who didn't know about it.
CIS: Computer Information Systems.
Why am I complaining here? I'm sharing my experiences - hopefully others can learn from them.
I'm about to graduate with a degree in CIS, and I will say this much.. We don't need any more people at my school majoring in computers. Period. So many of the majors we have came in not even knowing about open source software, or even how to add RAM to their machine. Our department, because of this, has a "special" (more like Speshule) system of grading; They base your grade on how much you improve, as opposed to how viable you will be in the real world.
So, you have guys like me, who have been doing hobbyist and freelance tech work for years before going to college, being held back by students who just plain don't know which end of the RAM goes up. I actually have taught classes (mostly regarding Linux and computer/network security) because the teacher can't be bothered (or doesn't have the capability) to learn these things. The latter is the case in my dept; I spent 2 years trying to teach the head of our dept Linux, UNIX, and BSD, and she just doesn't get it. Same with MySQL.
Plus, thanks to this grading system, I have a harder time getting As and Bs than my peers because I have to go to extreme lengths to learn new, obscure things to impress the teacher with.
A note to potential students: If your school has this sort of grading system for your CIS/CS dept, lie. Don't let them know that you are actually intelligent - ESPECIALLY if the instructors aren't knowledgable themselves. You'll end up paying a buttload to do their work.
/* This has been a rant about a crappy CIS dept at a crappy school */
ROTFLMAO! Oh man, I'm sorry that you think you know every Christian out there, and exactly what they say, think, and do.:)
I don't call people heathens. I don't force feed. Like I said before, you can't force someone to think the way you do - they have to willingly make the change themselves.
Wow, this is drifting O/T.. But still, this is fun:) Anyway, since you brought it up... Gay Rights!
I believe homosexuals have just as much rights as the next man. I also believe that they are entitled to a legal marriage! I do believe that a man can love another man just as much as I can love another woman. I DON'T think, however, that they are entitled to a Christian union of marriage. This is a rather simplified version of my beliefs, but it does make my point that you don't know how every Christian thinks.
Female equality - heh. I've dated feminists before, and have no problem with women serving positions equal to men. My mother and father are divorced, and I was raised by my mother. Most of my friends are women - I don't like being around guys (most of them tend to be overly-sexual jerks, at least that is the way it is at college). I believe we can no longer make the argument that, because of the sins of Eve, women are not allowed to serve positions above men - It is also said in the bible (somewhere later in the O.T., can't remember where exactly) that the children will no longer taste the bitterness of the sins of the parents - meaning that the children are not responsible for the sins of their parents, and don't carry their punishment.
If we have a woman who would make a good president, heck yeah! Hopefully she is a libertarian, too - I'm sick of this bipartisan crap.
So, if you would like to debate honestly on the subject of the impact of DRM and how to combat unethical business practices, I hope that you will actually consider my opinion valid and refute it properly.
I never said I supported stealing music from P2P - I am a solo recording artist and composer myself. I don't download any music; I buy all of mine. I also encourage all my friends to avoid music piracy.
I do, however, feel that we need to rethink the current business model the music industry employs.
I hate to feed this, but I figure I might as well give you SOME information so you can reasonably judge me like you have:P
Most of my friends, and nearly all of my family, are Christian. Most of us try pretty hard to stand for the moral, and against the immoral. We hold eachother accountable for our actions. We don't try and control eachother, by any means - we just try and help eachother figure out what stands in our way of achieving a higher comprehension and adherance of good morals. When it comes to my non-Christian friends (yes, I have plenty of them, too), I state my opinion, and if they are willing, debate it with them. Simple as that. I can't force anybody to live my standards - that wasn't how I was raised (here come the Christian jokes now:P), and in today's American society, the more you push, the further they go against you.
The goat doesn't have to pay rent or electric bills, though:P
Artists usually make their money from live shows. Not saying they don't get any money from the CDs, but they get a very VERY tiny percentage of the revenue from each CD.
To an extent - however, all the music released under RIAA affiliated labels that I am interested I purchase used - for a much cheaper price. The CDs are usually good quality, and I rip it to my computer anyway (as do most of my friends - very rarely do they play straight from their original CDs). I can get 5 CDs of my favorite music for about 30 bucks at stores like Slackers.
I will agree that it does take more effort, but the trade off is well worth it, in my opinion.
I guess I will concede regarding my point on societal apathy regarding the subject of DRM hardware. However, I still see it as a problem getting people educated on the subject. Maybe I just lack faith in society:)
Problem is, they won't listen. Society tends to be fairly apathetic about this sort of thing.
While not an entirely similar instance, I have been pushing all my friends and family to boycott the RIAA and MPAA based on their recent tactics. Some of them are even file sharers.. Yet they don't care. They will happily shell out 18 bucks for the latest pop CD, even though I have explained to them time and time again that the artist makes practically nothing from CD sales..
I hate being surrounded by apathy. Some solutions are incredibly simple, yet people aren't willing to make just a little extra effort to do the RightThing(tm).
How will this affect media center PCs? I know a number of people who are still too poor to afford anything other than VGA-to-TV adapters when playing with this sort of thing.. By then the tech should be cheaper, but still.
The problem is, people won't KNOW what it is. They may see "DRM security features" or something like that, and think it is something that actually benefits them.
I know people who think MS products are the bees knees, just because of tech buzzwords and jargon. They'll buy Longhorn and wonder why it sucks - just like Windows XP, ME, 98..
The technology isn't there to match the dynamics in picking techniques and subtle stylistic interpretations.
For instance, some swing-beat pieces (in jazz band music, not just guitar music) require a little more sluggishness in the eights, to really capture the groove.
As well, there aren't effective improv algorithms yet for these mechanical beasts:)
Oh sure, its possible to program future machines to match interpretations to exact specifications, but the nuances required to program that are unfathomable when it comes to instruments such as guitars - There are so many dynamic elements to it that it just isn't feasible. Besides, people like watching guitarists as much as they like listening to them.. Thats part of why people prefer live shows to CDs - Nothing is like watching the emotive expressions of a guitar duo while they shred in harmony, knees on the ground, eyes at the sky.
Guitar: A month or so to learn, a lifetime to master.
I listen to and write Christian-influenced music (not Christian rock, or Christian pop, mind you - I have a solo Industrial project, and I also write classical and neo-classical music - almost all of my music is instrumental). Granted, most Christian music in my favorite genres.. well.. suck. If you are into electronic/industrial, check out Juggernautz - they definately rival their secular peers.
I'd play a Christian game if it was good. Thats the point - Love it or hate it because its good or not, to you. People play those stupid deer avenger games, or the Extreme Paintbrawl games, and they are awful by most gamer's standards.
Look at classical music - Handel's "Messiah", Vivaldi's "Gloria", Brahm's German Requiem - all regarded highly among classical music fans. Why? Because they are all good.
I've been arguing against senseless abuse of the English language for some time now. Sadly, however, it has gotten me nowhere. People don't care that non-native English speakers write better English than we do.
I wish that there was a way to solidify our education when it comes to writing, but most teachers don't care enough about it - they would rather teach the sciences and math, and completely ignore failing writing skills.
(yeah, I know, I'm probably not that skilled of a writer myself, but I'm better than my peers - sadly)
forgive my ignorance, but don't veins' positions shift slightly? Don't quote me on that, but I think I read that somewhere..
I'm all for increasing security, but biometrics have always been fairly insecure in a number of situations. I'd guess that its only a matter of time before this method is cracked.
Fingerprint scanners have numerous ways of being defeated - through lifting the prints off the scanner (by use of tape and graphite powder), to gel finger molds.. And I forgot how to defeat retina scanners and vocal scanners, but simple vocal reproduction shouldn't be too hard considering the quality of numerous recording devices. Cheaper retina scanners used to be defeatable by photograph IIRC, strange enough..
I'm a solo recording artist, and after losing an entire album in a hard disk crash a few years ago, I decided to do something about it. As hard drive prices started going down, I decided to start buying 200GB plus drives to expand my storage capabilities.
Right now I have a 200gb HDD and a 250gb HDD for backup purposes - both are in USB external enclosures, and are IDE drives.
I wait until prices hit around 35 cents or less per gig, and buy then. Keep an eye out on sites such as Fatwallet and Deal News for deals. My favorite time to pick up a new HDD is black friday - day after thanksgiving. Most stores have really great deals on IDE hard disks. I pick up my external enclosures @ Newegg.
As a person who has been doing web dev contracts for about a year or so now, I would suggest you hand-code all your websites in a simple text editor (w/ code highlighting - in Windows I use Notepad2, in Linux I use Nedit).
I taught a 13 year old how to code websites by hand. We got through basic HTML in a few weeks, and he wasn't having any serious problems. He was able to use tables and organize his layout in a clean and efficient manner - We didn't have time to tackle CSS and standards compliance, but if a 13 year old can hand code websites, surely an adult programmer can hand code standards-compliant websites. It isn't that tough.
My process is simple: Come up with a layout concept in Photoshop, code the layout structure (using HTML 4.01 Strict w/ CSS), extract images from the photoshop concept, and then put in content (CMS-based or otherwise).
There are numerous CMSs out there to ease updating and managing of the template, but it is my belief that in order to get the most efficient and secure CMS, you need to code it specifically for your own needs. The more features you have/greater the complexity, the higher the risk of error/compromise.
(note: To those of you who checked my website using the W3C validator, you will notice it isn't standards-compliant.. I'm overhauling the network right now, so hush:P)
You could contact one of the many Linux/UNIX shell account providers and have them set you up an account (either through a free independant provider, or a professional group - you have enough reason to convince a free one to let you have one for a SOCKS proxy), or use a web based CGI proxy such as Guardster.
Some of us rely on software on the Windows platform. For instance, I'm a solo recording artist - I use numerous Windows/Mac only programs in my music. Sure, there are other programs out there, but in the cases of softsynths.. I want a SPECIFIC synthesizer sound. I want certain controls. Windows software fits the bill in that dept (actually, I should be saying Windows/Mac, but I can't afford a mac machine). Propellerhead's Reason, FruityLoops (to an extent), etc - and the odds of getting it working 100% properly 100% of the time in Linux through Wine isn't very good.
Not saying Linux, BSD, or any other alternative is a bad choice - I'm a hardcore Slackware fan, and also make good use of FreeBSD and NetBSD. I just don't use those OSes for recording much (occasionally I use Linux specific software for it, but not usually).
Slashdot Mirror
Wow, thanks for assuming :)
I couldn't remember what it meant when I first heard it, so I looked it up. I'm a bit of a vocab nut, though.
I didn't say I had a problem with the meaning of Vista; I said the word itself doesn't really fit visually and audibly what it means for Windows.
Good point (both of you who have replied so far); However, I have 2 arguments.
One, as far as marketing goes, you should always pick something attractive that is going to appeal to your target audience. Microsoft, I'm assuming, is targetting the home user with little desire to learn computing; They want to just do it. My premise could be flawed, but I'm sure MS has something similar in mind if not that. Anyway, "Vista" isn't exactly something I would peg as attractive, or common to the desired userbase. While the meaning is good, I believe that not only should the meaning be fitting, but also the visual and audible flow. For instance, "pulchritudinous" doesn't really look or sound like a word that describes beauty. If I called someone I didn't know pulchritudinous, I would probably get called something else quite the opposite.
Second, many people think in numerical versions; Rocky comes in numerical order, sports cames usually have a year in the title, and multi-movement musical pieces usually include a number designating which movement it is (certainly not always the case, though). Newer people then have to actually make an effort to figure out which is newer when it comes to Windows versions - It can get pretty tough.
Not saying I don't think your argument is valid, but I do think there are a few more variables to the marketing equation MS is faced with.
MS deserves to be sued for picking such an un-attractive name for an OS. :P
Windows 2000? Yeah, that works. XP? Sure. ME? Not great, but it is better than "Vista". How many people are going to actually know what "Vista" means, anyway? I'd put 20 on people thinking that the newest incarnation of Windows is some spanish distribution.
I'll admit, I was one of those "hops from dev team to dev team" guys. My main problem was that I didn't realistically assess the team before I joined - I participated in 3 different efforts to make a commercial game. The ideas were great, and the price was right, but in the end each project was plagued with inexperienced management and developers (that, or no coders.. common problem :)). I've done level design, texture design, and music composition (respective to the 3 projects I participated in, in chronological order). The latter project is still going, I think. It is probably about as old as DN4E, now. Those guys just don't quit :)
So, yeah, definately work hard to finish your projects. If you quit a project because of professional reasons, I'd say don't put it on your resume.
Here is another vote for autoit. I have a few friends who make good use of it, and I've used it a bit myself. It is a very powerful way to script common functions (and even not-so-common functions).
1: CIS is applied computer tech. Networking, web development, database development and management, application programming, etc. I've taken Finite, Discrete, and Stats, along with accounting and productions/operations management (our dept mixes in business classes with our CIS stuff). 2: Yeah, I am going to a mediocre school. I didn't realize it was so mediocre when i visited, though.. Needless to say they definately pulled the sheet over on me. 3: No, it doesn't have anything to do with open source software. You are splitting hairs - most people seriously interested in IT know about open source. I haven't actually ever met anybody really involved with computers who didn't know about it. CIS: Computer Information Systems. Why am I complaining here? I'm sharing my experiences - hopefully others can learn from them.
I'm about to graduate with a degree in CIS, and I will say this much.. We don't need any more people at my school majoring in computers. Period. So many of the majors we have came in not even knowing about open source software, or even how to add RAM to their machine. Our department, because of this, has a "special" (more like Speshule) system of grading; They base your grade on how much you improve, as opposed to how viable you will be in the real world.
So, you have guys like me, who have been doing hobbyist and freelance tech work for years before going to college, being held back by students who just plain don't know which end of the RAM goes up. I actually have taught classes (mostly regarding Linux and computer/network security) because the teacher can't be bothered (or doesn't have the capability) to learn these things. The latter is the case in my dept; I spent 2 years trying to teach the head of our dept Linux, UNIX, and BSD, and she just doesn't get it. Same with MySQL.
Plus, thanks to this grading system, I have a harder time getting As and Bs than my peers because I have to go to extreme lengths to learn new, obscure things to impress the teacher with.
A note to potential students: If your school has this sort of grading system for your CIS/CS dept, lie. Don't let them know that you are actually intelligent - ESPECIALLY if the instructors aren't knowledgable themselves. You'll end up paying a buttload to do their work.
/* This has been a rant about a crappy CIS dept at a crappy school */
ROTFLMAO! Oh man, I'm sorry that you think you know every Christian out there, and exactly what they say, think, and do. :)
I don't call people heathens. I don't force feed. Like I said before, you can't force someone to think the way you do - they have to willingly make the change themselves.
Wow, this is drifting O/T.. But still, this is fun :) Anyway, since you brought it up... Gay Rights!
I believe homosexuals have just as much rights as the next man. I also believe that they are entitled to a legal marriage! I do believe that a man can love another man just as much as I can love another woman. I DON'T think, however, that they are entitled to a Christian union of marriage. This is a rather simplified version of my beliefs, but it does make my point that you don't know how every Christian thinks.
Female equality - heh. I've dated feminists before, and have no problem with women serving positions equal to men. My mother and father are divorced, and I was raised by my mother. Most of my friends are women - I don't like being around guys (most of them tend to be overly-sexual jerks, at least that is the way it is at college). I believe we can no longer make the argument that, because of the sins of Eve, women are not allowed to serve positions above men - It is also said in the bible (somewhere later in the O.T., can't remember where exactly) that the children will no longer taste the bitterness of the sins of the parents - meaning that the children are not responsible for the sins of their parents, and don't carry their punishment.
If we have a woman who would make a good president, heck yeah! Hopefully she is a libertarian, too - I'm sick of this bipartisan crap.
So, if you would like to debate honestly on the subject of the impact of DRM and how to combat unethical business practices, I hope that you will actually consider my opinion valid and refute it properly.
I never said I supported stealing music from P2P - I am a solo recording artist and composer myself. I don't download any music; I buy all of mine. I also encourage all my friends to avoid music piracy.
I do, however, feel that we need to rethink the current business model the music industry employs.
I hate to feed this, but I figure I might as well give you SOME information so you can reasonably judge me like you have :P
Most of my friends, and nearly all of my family, are Christian. Most of us try pretty hard to stand for the moral, and against the immoral. We hold eachother accountable for our actions. We don't try and control eachother, by any means - we just try and help eachother figure out what stands in our way of achieving a higher comprehension and adherance of good morals. When it comes to my non-Christian friends (yes, I have plenty of them, too), I state my opinion, and if they are willing, debate it with them. Simple as that. I can't force anybody to live my standards - that wasn't how I was raised (here come the Christian jokes now :P), and in today's American society, the more you push, the further they go against you.
The goat doesn't have to pay rent or electric bills, though :P
Artists usually make their money from live shows. Not saying they don't get any money from the CDs, but they get a very VERY tiny percentage of the revenue from each CD.
To an extent - however, all the music released under RIAA affiliated labels that I am interested I purchase used - for a much cheaper price. The CDs are usually good quality, and I rip it to my computer anyway (as do most of my friends - very rarely do they play straight from their original CDs). I can get 5 CDs of my favorite music for about 30 bucks at stores like Slackers.
I will agree that it does take more effort, but the trade off is well worth it, in my opinion.
I guess I will concede regarding my point on societal apathy regarding the subject of DRM hardware. However, I still see it as a problem getting people educated on the subject. Maybe I just lack faith in society :)
Problem is, they won't listen. Society tends to be fairly apathetic about this sort of thing.
While not an entirely similar instance, I have been pushing all my friends and family to boycott the RIAA and MPAA based on their recent tactics. Some of them are even file sharers.. Yet they don't care. They will happily shell out 18 bucks for the latest pop CD, even though I have explained to them time and time again that the artist makes practically nothing from CD sales..
I hate being surrounded by apathy. Some solutions are incredibly simple, yet people aren't willing to make just a little extra effort to do the RightThing(tm).
How will this affect media center PCs? I know a number of people who are still too poor to afford anything other than VGA-to-TV adapters when playing with this sort of thing.. By then the tech should be cheaper, but still.
The problem is, people won't KNOW what it is. They may see "DRM security features" or something like that, and think it is something that actually benefits them.
I know people who think MS products are the bees knees, just because of tech buzzwords and jargon. They'll buy Longhorn and wonder why it sucks - just like Windows XP, ME, 98..
hit OpenSourceCMS and go through the lists - most have online demos available so you can play with them. :)
The technology isn't there to match the dynamics in picking techniques and subtle stylistic interpretations.
For instance, some swing-beat pieces (in jazz band music, not just guitar music) require a little more sluggishness in the eights, to really capture the groove.
As well, there aren't effective improv algorithms yet for these mechanical beasts :)
Oh sure, its possible to program future machines to match interpretations to exact specifications, but the nuances required to program that are unfathomable when it comes to instruments such as guitars - There are so many dynamic elements to it that it just isn't feasible. Besides, people like watching guitarists as much as they like listening to them.. Thats part of why people prefer live shows to CDs - Nothing is like watching the emotive expressions of a guitar duo while they shred in harmony, knees on the ground, eyes at the sky.
Guitar: A month or so to learn, a lifetime to master.
I listen to and write Christian-influenced music (not Christian rock, or Christian pop, mind you - I have a solo Industrial project, and I also write classical and neo-classical music - almost all of my music is instrumental). Granted, most Christian music in my favorite genres.. well.. suck. If you are into electronic/industrial, check out Juggernautz - they definately rival their secular peers.
I'd play a Christian game if it was good. Thats the point - Love it or hate it because its good or not, to you. People play those stupid deer avenger games, or the Extreme Paintbrawl games, and they are awful by most gamer's standards.
Look at classical music - Handel's "Messiah", Vivaldi's "Gloria", Brahm's German Requiem - all regarded highly among classical music fans. Why? Because they are all good.
I've been arguing against senseless abuse of the English language for some time now. Sadly, however, it has gotten me nowhere. People don't care that non-native English speakers write better English than we do.
I wish that there was a way to solidify our education when it comes to writing, but most teachers don't care enough about it - they would rather teach the sciences and math, and completely ignore failing writing skills.
(yeah, I know, I'm probably not that skilled of a writer myself, but I'm better than my peers - sadly)
forgive my ignorance, but don't veins' positions shift slightly? Don't quote me on that, but I think I read that somewhere..
I'm all for increasing security, but biometrics have always been fairly insecure in a number of situations. I'd guess that its only a matter of time before this method is cracked.
Fingerprint scanners have numerous ways of being defeated - through lifting the prints off the scanner (by use of tape and graphite powder), to gel finger molds.. And I forgot how to defeat retina scanners and vocal scanners, but simple vocal reproduction shouldn't be too hard considering the quality of numerous recording devices. Cheaper retina scanners used to be defeatable by photograph IIRC, strange enough..
I'm a solo recording artist, and after losing an entire album in a hard disk crash a few years ago, I decided to do something about it. As hard drive prices started going down, I decided to start buying 200GB plus drives to expand my storage capabilities.
Right now I have a 200gb HDD and a 250gb HDD for backup purposes - both are in USB external enclosures, and are IDE drives.
I wait until prices hit around 35 cents or less per gig, and buy then. Keep an eye out on sites such as Fatwallet and Deal News for deals. My favorite time to pick up a new HDD is black friday - day after thanksgiving. Most stores have really great deals on IDE hard disks. I pick up my external enclosures @ Newegg.
As a person who has been doing web dev contracts for about a year or so now, I would suggest you hand-code all your websites in a simple text editor (w/ code highlighting - in Windows I use Notepad2, in Linux I use Nedit).
:P)
I taught a 13 year old how to code websites by hand. We got through basic HTML in a few weeks, and he wasn't having any serious problems. He was able to use tables and organize his layout in a clean and efficient manner - We didn't have time to tackle CSS and standards compliance, but if a 13 year old can hand code websites, surely an adult programmer can hand code standards-compliant websites. It isn't that tough.
My process is simple: Come up with a layout concept in Photoshop, code the layout structure (using HTML 4.01 Strict w/ CSS), extract images from the photoshop concept, and then put in content (CMS-based or otherwise).
There are numerous CMSs out there to ease updating and managing of the template, but it is my belief that in order to get the most efficient and secure CMS, you need to code it specifically for your own needs. The more features you have/greater the complexity, the higher the risk of error/compromise.
(note: To those of you who checked my website using the W3C validator, you will notice it isn't standards-compliant.. I'm overhauling the network right now, so hush
Of course the revolution won't be in HD, the revolution won't even be televised!
You could contact one of the many Linux/UNIX shell account providers and have them set you up an account (either through a free independant provider, or a professional group - you have enough reason to convince a free one to let you have one for a SOCKS proxy), or use a web based CGI proxy such as Guardster.
Some of us rely on software on the Windows platform. For instance, I'm a solo recording artist - I use numerous Windows/Mac only programs in my music. Sure, there are other programs out there, but in the cases of softsynths.. I want a SPECIFIC synthesizer sound. I want certain controls. Windows software fits the bill in that dept (actually, I should be saying Windows/Mac, but I can't afford a mac machine). Propellerhead's Reason, FruityLoops (to an extent), etc - and the odds of getting it working 100% properly 100% of the time in Linux through Wine isn't very good.
Not saying Linux, BSD, or any other alternative is a bad choice - I'm a hardcore Slackware fan, and also make good use of FreeBSD and NetBSD. I just don't use those OSes for recording much (occasionally I use Linux specific software for it, but not usually).